. >> fiscal cliff. >> that dreaded fiscal cliff. >> stephen: yes, the dreaded fiscal cliff. an unavoidable money will technology the razor-sharp financial rocks below. it all started back in 2011 during the showdown over raising our debt ceiling when republicans wanted spending cuts and obama wanted to raise taxes. which led to a budget crisis that congress solved by not solving it. (laughter) instead, they handed it over to something called "the supercongress" which couldn't fail because it was super. (laughter) unfortunately it was also congress so it failed. (laughter) and as a result -- (applause) as a result -- (applause) as a result, folks, we are facing another thing called sequestration which at first sounds like rationing the amount you can watch "sea quest." (laughter) but it's even worse than that. (laughter) sequestration is automatic spending cuts that both sides agree would trigger a new recession. it's like congress put a gun to the economy's head and swore it will pull the triger if congress doesn't put its own gun down. (laughter) it's kind of like a mexican